Susan Templeman
Macquarie · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“The three key focuses of the government's action are, firstly, to disrupt and dismantle border threats to stem the flow of illicit tobacco and vapes to Australia before they make it to our shores; secondly, to enhance detection, disruption and destruction of illicit tobacco and vapes at the border and within the community; and, thirdly, t…”
“AUSTRAC is working with the banks and service providers to shut down the money flows that keep illicit tobacco profitable. Hundreds of accounts have already been closed and payment systems stopped.”
“We need to keep fighting it and not blame each other. Those opposite need to recognise that, just as we supported the steps they made, we need their full support in taking these actions.”
“That's not good enough for participants, it's not good enough for employers and it's not good enough for the economy. That's why these reforms are so important. This is the most significant change to employment services in 30 years. At the heart of these reforms is the end of the one-size-fits-all model.”
“The Commonwealth, states and territories are working together to reverse the equation for organised crime at every step and in every way to make the illicit tobacco trade more risky and less profitable, disrupting the illicit supply chain and shutting down illegal shops. This bill is another step in that process.”
“Mr Robert, at that time, spoke of the actions they were taking and the changes they were making on duty liabilities being paid when tobacco is imported into Australia.”
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“This is Labor restoring TAFE, as we promised we would, and creating the workers who will continue to build new homes for Aussies to buy or rent. The budget continues the important work we've done to secure Australia's fuel supply, which has come under such pressure as a result of the war in the Middle East. We're expanding the minimum stockholding obligation, with an additional 10 days supply for diesel, jet fuel and petrol. We're establishing the $3.2 billion government controlled Australian Fuel Security Reserve, which will hold around a billion litres of diesel and jet fuel to provide an additional buffer for any future crisis. Through these efforts, Australia will increase its diesel and jet fuel reserves to 50 days.”
“Over the next two years, the TAFE NSW Construction Centre of Excellence will deliver more than 20,000 enrolments across microskills and microcredentials via online and in-person training. The centre responds to industry demand for short, practical training that helps small and medium-sized construction businesses, like those throughout my electorate, so they can upskill their workforce and deliver quality housing right across the country. The Kingswood TAFE marks the establishment of the 20th and final nationally networked TAFE centre of excellence under the National Skills Agreement, a landmark five-year agreement between the Commonwealth and the states and territories, focused on building the skilled workforce to set Australia up for now and the future.”
“More than 1,200 people in Macquarie have bought their own home using the scheme. Our budgets—this one and earlier ones—recognise that you can't build new homes without a skilled workforce. More than 545 construction trades apprentices in Macquarie have benefited from the $5,000 incentive payments. What's really exciting is the establishment of a new TAFE centre of excellence for construction at the Kingswood TAFE campus. Thousands of construction workers and their employers will benefit from new skills to help boost housing supply, thanks to this $11 million joint investment by the Albanese and Minns Labor governments. The centre will work with industry and universities to develop a first-of-its-kind higher apprenticeship in construction, creating a new pathway that combines hands-on training with higher level qualifications.”
“We're extending the ban on foreign investors buying existing homes, until mid-2029, and we're establishing the new $2 billion Local Infrastructure Fund to help governments and state utilities build essential infrastructure to support new housing, including by connecting those essential services, like water, power, sewerage and roads. In Macquarie, where we face a dual challenge of bushfires and floods, we aren't likely to see as much activity as some other areas when it comes to new housing from the Housing Australia Future Fund, but at East Penrith, not far over the electorate boundary, there are right now 135 new homes under construction. One housing measure that is already helping plenty of Macquarie first home buyers is the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme.”
“In this budget we're reforming negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions to level that playing field for first home buyers. But grandfathering arrangements remain for some of the measures to respect the decisions that current investors have made. If investors still want to use negative gearing on property into the future, they can do so on new builds so that their investment goes towards creating more housing supply. These changes are estimated to support an additional 75,000 homeowners over the decade to get their own first home. I want our kids and grandkids to be able to realise the dream of owning their first home. That's the purpose of this and the housing measures in the budget. It's the most ambitious housing agenda in decades.”
“One of our stated aims in this budget is to make it easier to own your first home. It's something I did as a matter of course in my 20s when I started earning a full-time wage. I remember the joy of being able to put whatever I wanted on the walls, to paint, to change things and to have the sense of security that having your own place brings. I think younger generations deserve to be able to make the same choice without being forced to gamble on the stock market to build their deposit. They should have an even playing field. But right now, and for many, many decades, would-be first home buyers have been up against it because it has been an unfair playing field tilted towards people buying their second, third or 13th property.”
“These are testing trading conditions for some businesses and, from July, eligible companies that make a loss in the current income year will be able to use that loss to get a refund against tax paid in the prior two income years. This will benefit up to 85,000 companies, mostly small businesses. We're also introducing loss refundability to support new startup businesses. From 2028-29, small startups in their first two years of operation will be able to get a refund for tax losses up to the value of the fringe benefits tax and withholding tax paid on employee wages. This will benefit up to 25,000 young companies each year, providing valuable cashflow support. I think there's been less focus so far on these measures. But, from speaking with local businesses and learning about their situations, there are benefits that they'll receive.”
“These cuts also help every single sole trader running a small business. Since the Treasurer handed down this budget, I've been talking to local small businesses about some of the practical measures that will benefit them in this budget. We've permanently extended the $20,000 instant asset write-off from July this year. This allows small businesses with turnovers of up to $10 million to immediately deduct eligible assets costing less than $20,000 off that year's tax return. You can claim more than one asset, which helps businesses make their investment decisions with confidence. This is estimated to improve cash flow for small businesses by around $890 million over the next five years.”
“These are on top of the three tax cuts that the government's already legislated. From 1 July this year, the 16 per cent tax rate on taxable income between $18,201 and $45,000 will drop to 15 per cent. From 1 July 2027, that tax rate will drop to 14 per cent. As this flows through every single tax bracket, it means that every single Australian taxpayer will receive a tax cut of up to $268 from 1 July and then $536 every year from 1 July 2027, compared to the 2024-25 tax settings. In every budget, we've embedded these tax cuts that are small, affordable and meaningful and that build up over time. For an Australian worker on average earnings, the combined benefit of the government's five tax cuts, which started back in 2024, could be up to $2,816 a year, helping every Australian worker keep more of what they've earned.”
“There's been a lot of focus on tax reforms in this budget. Our three objectives are to make it easier to own a first home, to cut income taxes and to better align the tax treatment of income and assets. I want to touch on some of the things that haven't really been talked about in some of the misinformation and disinformation willingly peddled, including by those opposite. From the 2026-27 year—so the next financial year—a new instant tax deduction of up to $1,000 every year, which will simplify work related expense deductions, kicks in. This will deliver 6.2 million workers an average tax benefit of $205 for that year. The following year we're introducing a $250 working Australians tax offset, the WATO, providing another ongoing tax cut annually for more than 13 million Australian workers.”
“People valued hearing stories of the service and sacrifice of local families, including those named on the plaques of the Emu Plains cenotaph from Chris Bryett, the sub-branch veterans' advocate. It was a beautiful example of a community that really cares.”
“Emu Heights Public School, Emu Plains Public School, Leonay Public School and Our Lady of the Way Primary School all participated in the march and service in one or more ways, as did Reverand Roger Cunningham, Legacy, Lesley Ayres from the Women's Veteran Network, Emu Plains Little Athletics and Nepean Rovers. A special thank you to No. 37 Squadron RAAF Base Richmond, who provided a catafalque party led by Flight Lieutenant Nathan Peters. This was a first for the service in recent years and so appreciated by the community. Pilot Officer Lewis Jackson delivered a beautiful commemorative address, while Sergeant Shane Trigg laid a wreath on behalf of the squadron.”
“There were endless in-kind supports and offers, like the historical display and morning tea by the historical society inside Melrose Hall; Penrith City Council, who waived the fee for the park and hall hire—thanks Mayor Todd Carney—the wonderful Emu Plains Girl Guides who allowed us to use their hall for committee meetings free of charge; and all the donors of Rosemary. The service itself was led by Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School leaders Emma Hobson and Alex McDonald-Tickner, with Adam Hurford on drums, Ashleigh Long and Charisse Bell singing the national anthems, and former student Tyler Watson was our bugler.”
“Nepean District Historical Society, Lions Club of Emu Plains, Emu Plains Girl Guides, Penrith City NASHOS and Anglican Church representatives and many other individuals were all involved in the meetings and on the day. Local businesses generously provided financial support for this service, including Dukes Estate Agents, PAAL Kit Homes, Epoc Enviro and Leonay Golf Club, and Penrith RSL and Paul Wallace at Property Central donated to ensure that the Lions Club barbecue was well stocked, which was much appreciated by the crowd after the service.”
“It's pretty special to see community members come out in ever-growing numbers, as they did at Emu Plains on Anzac Day for the community run service. Along with the member for Penrith, Karen McKeowen, and her office, my team and I were grateful to be supporting the newly formed Anzac Day committee so locals could pay their respects at the Emu Plains War Memorial. With well over a thousand people in attendance, I want to put on record my thanks to those who came and to the many people who made the day possible. Volunteers who served on the community committee included members of Penrith RSL sub-Branch, with Peter Ward stepping up as a co-chair alongside local resident Kim Martin.”
“The New South Wales package, announced last week, includes $10,000 grants for eligible small businesses in Mount Victoria, Hartley, Little Hartley and Hartley Vale through the New South Wales Rural Assistance Authority—similar to what we fought for during the post-fire period. Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury councils are also receiving $15,000 for promotional activities and another $5,000 for community events. Also on offer, dedicated one-on-one specialist business advice plus business workshops coming up in June, including in Blackheath, Mount Victoria and Hartley. I look forward to seeing this support help our local businesses and help draw visitors to the beautiful region at the top of the mountains.”
“I welcome the New South Wales government's rollout of a $3.5 million support package for small businesses and councils across the Blue Mountains and Central West who were impacted by the closure of the Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass. Alongside Trish Doyle, the state member for the Blue Mountains, I've heard from Mount Victoria tourism and local businesses about the disruptions they've experienced since the closure of Mitchells Causeway, known as the Convict Bridge, due to serious cracking and safety concerns. Those businesses know I'm in their corner, and so is the Albanese Labor government. The Prime Minister and Minister King have both said that they stand ready to respond as soon as New South Wales requests federal support.”
“To all those music teachers: during school hours or before or after school, we know the cultural and economic contribution you make. Creative Australia's recent Bass line report found that the music education sector contributes about $1.5 billion in direct economic value each year. I thank you for how you help young brains operate even better. It's already been a busy year for New South Wales SES Blue Mountains members, responding to more than 760 calls for assistance, including 18 search and rescue operations. I was delighted that we turned the sod on the new SES Blue Mountains West Unit headquarters, which I contributed $1.1 million to as part of my 2022 election campaign. I look forward to seeing it completed. House adjourned at 20:00”
“Along with Dr Anita Collins, the Tony Foundation and Principal Southall, I was joined by representatives from the Song Room, the Australian Children's Music Foundation, Musica Viva, the Australian Youth Orchestra, the National Advocates for Arts Education, the Australian Society for Music Education, the Australian Secondary Principals' Association and the Australian National Academy of Music. I thank them for sharing their expertise and passion for what music education can do for students across Australia, and I thank Minister Clare for his thoughtful engagement with this important conversation. As Special Envoy for the Arts, I'll continue advocating for better access because quality music education for Australian students has benefits that are too valuable to pass up.”
“We need to use every tool at our disposal to support students learning, and music education is one of the most effective interventions available to us. The Tony Foundation's Fading n otes report found that the hours devoted to compulsory music education training in university degrees for primary school teachers have fallen by more than half over the last decade. This contributes to increasingly patchy and inconsistent access to quality music education, particularly in public schools across Australia. I'm not alone in believing there's a bigger role for music education in our school system. I was delighted to bring together educators, researchers and advocates from across the sector for a roundtable discussion with education minister Jason Clare.”
“These figures tell us that music education isn't a nice-to-have; it's deeply connected to students' capacity to learn in the first place. I think of it as fertiliser for the brain. I also listened to the feedback from educators on the front line like Homebush West Public principal Estelle Southall, who told me stories of the change she saw in students who accessed music education for the first time ever, and how it profoundly changed their experience of school. Music education helps students become more confident learners, more connected classmates and more resilient young people. It teaches children to listen, to cooperate, to persist and to belong. I think of these benefits every time I see a school musical and watch kids find their tribe either on stage or in the crew.”
“Research shared with me by Dr Anita Collins found that students involved in structured music learning demonstrated a 19 per cent improvement in self-regulation, a 50 per cent increase in cooperation and a 55 per cent increase in the student's sense of connectedness. An environment where students are self-regulating, cooperating and connected is an ideal learning space. The literacy and numeracy outcomes are just as striking. Students engaged in music learning demonstrated a 60 per cent improvement in being able to distinguish different sounds and showed 70 per cent greater persistence with reading tasks. Research also demonstrated a 24 per cent improvement in mathematical understanding and a 30 per cent reduction in maths anxiety, with particularly strong improvements among students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.”
“I want to speak about one of the most effective tools we have to improve learning outcomes, student behaviour, wellbeing and engagement. I'm talking about music education in our primary schools. This isn't music education as an optional extra squeezed in after the real subjects are done. More than 30 years of neuroscience research shows that music education strengthens the same neural networks involved in language, reading and mathematics. Think about it: what makes music learning unique is that it engages auditory processing, memory, motor coordination, attention, emotional regulation and social cooperation all at the same time.”
“A lot of new owners don't go into it thinking they'll build fast and sell. They go into it wanting to establish a long-term business that they hope to grow over time. I grew up in small business by my dad's side. I grew my own small business. I don't think I can do anything other than put myself in the shoes of small-business owners, including those across the Blue Mountains, the Hawkesbury and Nepean. That's what I'll be doing as we make these reforms that will ultimately put all Australians on a fairer footing.”
“Over the last few days, I've had many conversations with hardworking small businesses on the planned changes to capital gains tax. I want to thank all those businesses I've spoken with, especially for the confidential information they've entrusted me with. I built a small business and ran it for 25 years. I know what it is to build a business from scratch with only your brain and a computer, so I appreciate why businesses with low capital startup costs are asking questions. I want to ensure that, as we refine these important reforms, the circumstances of all small businesses—not just tech startups—are recognised and considered. It takes a huge leap of faith to decide to work for yourself and then create a business that employs people. You take a risk, and you take on the responsibility for not just your own family but many others.”
“It's gone up from $4 million to $6 million a year. That means more great arts projects in regional Australia are being supported. There's the Sharing the National Collection program from the National Gallery of Australia. Places like the Wanneroo Regional Gallery, the Texas Regional Art Gallery in Queensland, the Tamworth Regional Gallery, the Ipswich Art Gallery and the Shepparton Art Museum are all receiving access not just for a couple of weeks but for years to incredible artworks. The National Gallery of Australia's program is getting those works away from Canberra and out into our communities. I have also visited places like the Burnie cultural centre. That is a great example of $13 million boosting local infrastructure for the arts. I commend the member for Braddon for her work there. This is delivery.”
“We've done it simply by waiving HECS for doctors and nurses who work outside the regions for five years, where there's $600 million to grow the health workforce, particularly in those areas. We've also recognised that it's not quick enough and that we need an extra service. That's where 1800MEDICARE comes in—a free nationwide 24-hour health advice line that provides an after-hours GP telehealth service backed by Medicare. All of that makes our lives much easier to live further from the cities. I know my community benefits from that. I also want to touch on an area that I know the member for Mayo also cares about, and that's the arts. The Albanese government has delivered in this area for regional and rural communities through extra funding and extra programs. There's 35 per cent more funding for the Regional Arts Fund.”
“The difference I see is that it's not about saying, 'Here's a piece of road,' and the job is done. It's not just about infrastructure; it is about infrastructure and a whole lot of things. The assistant health minister has gone into detail about the delivery we have on improving Medicare and making Medicare stronger for every part of our country, including our regions. The key thing I have seen in my more remote areas is the benefits of the increased workforce, but that has been a benefit across the entire electorate. It means that our additional training of GPs and the ability for more people to say, 'Yes, I want to do this,' is starting to flow through to what we see on the ground. We have a goal to train 2,000 GPs each year by 2028. Bit by bit, that is improving the access that my community has.”
“The announcement made today about the 90,000 tonnes of agricultural-grade urea will be as welcome in my community amongst my farmers, my turf growers, my vegetable growers and my agricultural producers as it will be for all of those in our semi-rural, rural and regional areas, where we are the food producers for our communities. Of course, the Hawkesbury was always the food bowl and continues to be a major producer for many parts of the agricultural sector. That's the sort of delivery that the Albanese Labor government is doing. The announcement today is giving certainty to producers around their fertiliser needs. I have to say that I never imagined I would be up here talking about fertiliser, but it is such a privilege to represent an area that we are responding to and recognising its needs.”
“I'm very pleased to be speaking to the member for Mayo's matter of public importance. The member for Mayo and I joined this place nearly 10 years ago in the same intake, and our communities, while in different states, have remarkable similarities. We have mixes of peri-urban, semi-rural, rural and remote areas—broadly called regional. I'm stunned in a way that she is so keen to put down what this government is doing when both of us have been here in a parliament with the Liberals in charge, seeing media release after media release about, 'Wow, you beaut, this is going to happen,' and then nothing. What I have seen and what we focus on on this side is the delivery of the commitments we make to every part of Australia.”
“His family gave much of their lives to serving what was, for his dad, their new home. That's the sort of contribution we know migrants and their children and their grandchildren make. I think it's a beautiful opportunity for the parliament to say thank you for that. May he rest in peace.”
“In Old Parliament House, there were many press conferences and many times when he told me things, a lot of which I probably didn't really care a lot about as a 23-year-old. But, as someone much older than that now representing the community that I do, I want to pay respect to the passion and the insight and the understanding he had for the role that he did in his various ministries that touched on infrastructure. I'm ever grateful to him for suggesting that a bunch of journos might want to jump on a plane with him and head to Halls Creek to watch a machine seal the road. It was a terrific experience. It taught me a lot and, in reflection, has taught me even more. To his family: I concur with the comments that have been made. He gave a lot of his life to service.”
“He said: In effect what the Federal Government is doing with its road building program is to shrink distances helping to bring more cities and communities closer together. Better roads mean easier, quicker, safer and cheaper travelling—and so more people travel. He goes on—it was a lovely speech in the middle of a fairly remote area in Western Australia. He had a beautiful five-page speech. Now, he of course thanked the contractors who made this road possible, and the construction workers got his extra thanks because he said 'who despite the difficult conditions, built this road in a true display of professionalism'. When I saw that Peter Morris had died, I thought about the interactions I had had with him as a young journalist. This was the one that really stood out.”
“I know the impact they have on my community. In good weather, it might be fine; when they've just been graded, it might be fine. But so often these roads cause pain for people. They might be inaccessible. They might damage tyres and vehicles. They're a real challenge for people. We have been working—as, clearly, Peter Morris had a conviction—to seal those roads. In the Blue Mountains and Emu Plains, the roads are not so long, but some of them are really old. When you've got 194-year-old roads like the Victoria Pass, you absolutely know that governments have to invest to maintain and, in the case of the Victoria Pass up at Mount Victoria, to repair and make resilient for the next couple of hundred years. In fact, I feel like the way Peter Morris described it is exactly what we're facing.”
“This national highway was actually the largest single civil engineering project that had ever been undertaken by Australians and at the time was one of the biggest civil engineering projects in the world. But he talked about what those roads mean for people. He said: Roads are the arteries—the life line along which travels food, medical supplies, building materials—everything. And in human terms roads mean even more. They bring people together. Certainly, as the member for Macquarie with a large peri-urban electorate of about 4,300 square kilometres, I think roads are absolutely vital. This has been something in the last 15 years that I've appreciated very deeply. In the Hawkesbury local government area, we have 5,300 kilometres of roads—that's the length of our roads—and 285 kilometres of those roads are still unsealed council roads.”
“One of the things he mourned was that, with the sealing of this road, we actually lose some of that pioneer spirit that he saw was part and parcel of how Aussies had lived. And he did comment: Two hundred years from now— we're still a little way off that— a new generation of Australians will have reason to remember this Sunday—the day their country was finally linked north, south, east and west. Now what was really key for Peter—there are some infrastructure ministers who love the infrastructure. There are some defence ministers who love the gear that goes with it. What Peter Morris made really clear was that he loved it for what it achieved and what it did for people.”
“He talked about what was being done as 'appearing to be something small' and 'yet one which will change the face of Australia'. He also acknowledged the First Nations people of this region—again, this is not something I appreciated as a 23-year-old—when he said: When people first passed through this area, they followed ancient trails which had existed since Dreamtime. Then came white man with their herds of cattle—and the Canning Stock Route was born. He then went on to talk about how, in subsequent years, roads were built and how people could drive 'from place to place'. Previous speakers referred to his turn of phrase. He had a lovely way of describing things. He said: People could drive from place to place—even if it did mean fighting swollen rivers, ploughing through mud bogs, and choking against the dust.”
“He said the only event with which this can be compared 'is the circumnavigation of Australia by Bass and Flinders in their tiny boat early last century'—so he was talking about two centuries ago. This was the last section of gravel road to be sealed. It was between Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing. That last section was a couple of hundred kilometres, but Peter Morris got to sit in the machine and do the last spray of seal over the road. He wasn't a minister who just stood back and watched; he got involved. It's a bit hard to capture that on radio, but the cameras had some really good shots of it. These are some of the words he shared with us in the speech that he made to the small group who were there to witness this.”
“We got on a very small plane, a couple of TV journalists, a couple of radio journos and some print reporters. Not everyone coped well with the little flight. I like bumpy flights; not everyone did—and I won't mention Annette's name because she was mortified at the experience. We landed in Western Australia, having had a little bit of a look at the Bungle Bungles from the air—a place that none of us had ever been. Peter Morris was super excited about this trip. It was a Sunday, so we were all doing this on our weekend, which is probably why my radio station allowed me to go. I have a copy of the media release from the time. It's a shame people can't see this. It was typed on a typewriter. It's a real blast from the past to see it. Peter Morris described the day as 'an historic day for all Australians'.”
“I didn't know Peter Morris well personally, but I was a journalist in the Canberra press gallery in the 1980s and I got to do something with him that only a small group of journalists got to do, and that was to seal a road in Western Australia that was the missing link in having a bitumen road right around the country. We did this on 7 September 1986, and there were things that Peter Morris said in the speech that he gave then that resonate very strongly with me now, many decades later, when I have a much deeper understanding of the importance of that infrastructure work that he did. Let me take you back to that time. There was a small contingent of us. I was a radio journalist. We travelled there and we were staying overnight, in Halls Creek from memory.”
“I'm proud that this legislation takes a further step in modernising this important program upon which so many writers rely. This legislation will make commonsense, practical changes to a system that's already delivering for Australian authors. The Whitlam government understood the value of creative labour half a century ago, and the Albanese government understands it today. That's why we're ensuring the program Whitlam introduced is fit for now and fit for the future. As we look ahead to digital lending, modernised education systems and emerging technologies, we have a responsibility to ensure these schemes remain strong, contemporary and fair because Australian writers deserve more than praise after the fact. They deserve the means to keep writing, and Australia deserves to keep hearing its own voice. I commend this bill to the House.”
“Through that policy, we created Writing Australia within Creative Australia. Writing Australia is now providing direct support for the literature sector, growing local and international audiences for Australian books. In its first three years, Writing Australia will deliver more than $26 million. This is in addition to the $7.8 million that Creative Australia invests annually for literature projects. In closing, I want to acknowledge the longstanding advocacy of the Australian Society of Authors, who argued that 'Australia's lending rights schemes have fallen out of date and urgently require an upgrade'. I'm very proud that the Albanese Labor government's landmark cultural policy, Revive, answered that call and brought lending rights into the 21st century.”
“This matters especially in a country like Australia, where local voices can be easily overwhelmed by the scale and market power of global media. The Albanese government understands that creativity requires more than recognition; it requires systemic support that allows artists to keep working. Australian literature will thrive because people believe in it, fight for it and invest in it. Australian culture cannot thrive with set-and-forget policymaking any more than our literature sector can be sustained by admiration alone. The modernisation of the PLR and the ELR is by no means the limit of our support for Australian literature. During the consultation for our National Cultural Policy, Revive, we heard from many that literature was the most chronically and structurally underfunded art form.”
“Income from school visits, festival appearances and speaking engagements simply disappeared during lockdowns, even as Australians turned to books in extraordinary numbers; that was the cruel irony of it. People speak warmly about books. They talk about the importance of reading to children, literacy and Australian stories. That appreciation must also be reflected materially in the way we support the people who create those works. That's what the PLR and the ELR are about. A manuscript can take years of painstaking work, revision and persistence. Most books do not produce large incomes but a single book can stay alive in a community for decades, borrowed and reborrowed, passed between readers, shaping lives over time. The PLR and the ELR recognise that, long after the initial sale, the cultural impact of a book continues to reverberate.”
“For years, the Australian Society of Authors and other sector advocates warned that the schemes were falling behind the realities of modern reading. Gone were the days—my days—of holding a torch under the blankets, reading a book. Now, ebooks and audiobooks are increasingly common in public libraries and educational settings, just as they are in the home. But the policy framework has not kept pace. At a time when many creators were already under financial strain, the previous government allowed that inequity to persist for far too long. We should remember what the past decade has looked like for creative workers. The previous government enacted cuts that hit individual artists and writers particularly hard. Then the pandemic devastated arts incomes almost overnight.”
“For the authors who benefit from the program, the payments matter enormously not because they create vast wealth but because they create possibility—a few more months to write, the freedom to reduce other work, the chance to begin another manuscript and, importantly, a tangible indication that their country values what they do. The Albanese government understands the symbolic and material importance of this program. That's why we're ensuring it remains modern and responsive to the world as it changes. Publishing has changed dramatically in recent decades. Books now move not only through physical shelves but through digital platforms, audiobooks and online lending systems—so our policy settings must evolve too. This is where the previous Liberal government failed Australian writers.”
“I'm going to make no effort to name them all, but the Blue Mountains has become one of the great literary landscapes of Australia and has drawn writers for generations—writers like David Brooks, whose poetry has woven together language, memory and the natural world with extraordinary sensitivity, and who recently received the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Poetry; and writers like Jennifer Rowe, known to generations of readers as Emily Rodda, whose stories have shaped the imaginations of countless children. These are just two writers whose work is shared widely through libraries across the country and enriches Australians' lives in ways that are impossible to measure. The PLR and the ELR recognise that the circulation of literary work through our communities and the permeation of ideas throughout our culture is a public good.”
“The Australian Society of Authors has noted that Australian authors earn on average only about $18,000 a year from their creative practice. About 76 per cent of authors reported earning less than $15,000 annually from their creative work. These figures should give us all pause. We ask a great deal of our writers. We ask them to preserve memory; interrogate power; explain the complexity of life to children and adults; and illuminate grief, love, injustice and joy. We ask them to hold up mirrors to who we are and open windows into worlds that we have not yet explored. There are more than 5,000 professional authors living in Australia, and I'm proud that a disproportionate number of them live in my electorate of Macquarie.”
“In 2024-25, the Australian government distributed $28 million in lending rights payments to more than 17,000 creators and publishers. Our national cultural policy, Revive, expanded the program to include digital lending rights for the first time, which increased payments by $3.38 million in the first year alone. As significant as these payments are, they pale in comparison to the economic impact of our literature sector. In New South Wales alone, the sector contributes $1.3 billion a year to the economy and supports up to 22,000 jobs. Writers in Australia, though, are rarely wealthy. Even our most accomplished authors often sustain themselves through teaching, speaking engagements, grants, festivals and casual work.”
“Whitlam said that the Public Lending Right Scheme marked Australia as a nation that 'recognises the value of creative writing' and that recognises 'the place of literature and the arts in a robust and civilised society'. He said that 'governments cannot create good writing or great art, but they can create the conditions in which art and literature are most likely to flourish'. The educational lending right followed, which acknowledged the irreplaceable role that books play in Australian classrooms. Today, these programs are a vital part of the cultural fabric of this country. For many authors—children's writers, poets and literary fiction authors in particular—these payments are among the most reliable sources of income they receive from their creative practice.”